Responding to the Police Grant Report issued today, Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach said:
“A little more Christmas spirit would have been very welcome. I’m disappointed that the Government is ignoring its responsibilities in the face of inflation and increasingly complex demands on policing resources. Instead it has chosen to reduce the police grant leaving it to local people to make up the shortfall through the policing element of the council tax bill.
“This means that the increase permitted by Government before a local referendum is invoked, currently set at 2%, will go towards keeping the status quo.
“I can only hope that in any review of the funding formula the Government will appreciate the position in Leicestershire where we are seeing a rapid increase in our local, highly diverse, population but sadly not a similar growth in our funding pot.
“The position is exacerbated by the fact that we are still feeling the pinch of the 20% funding cuts imposed over the last four years and we’ve lost too many officers and staff. That said, I know that Leicestershire Police will continue to do everything they can, with consummate professionalism and skill, for everyone in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.”
The Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2017/18 written statement is available here.
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Posted on Thursday 15th December 2016